CHAPTER 29: I JUST MET THIS WOMAN

"I wouldn’t exactly say I like her. She seems like a capable woman, self-assured."

"I’m sure she will make a great Kane addition then," Tom said, leaning back in his chair.

Winn merely murmured.

"We should be more worried about how quickly she can have babies after the wedding," Anna declared, her eyes narrowing playfully at Winn.

"Mum..." Winn groaned, his hand dragging down his face in exasperation. "I just met this woman. I’m not even sure I’m going to see her again. Will you slow down?" He felt heat crawl up his neck from the absurdity of his mother casually discussing Sharona’s womb.

Anna scoffed loudly, throwing her napkin down with theatrical flair. "I’m going to die without seeing any grandbabies from any of my children." She feigned sobs dramatically, dabbing her eyes with her napkin as if she were in a soap opera. "One is allergic to marriage, the other one addicted to alcohol."

She shook her head, pretending her disappointment might break her delicate heart.

"Wait!" Sylvia snapped, her eyes narrowing in offended disbelief. "I didn’t do anything, why am I in this conversation?" She set her glass down harder than she meant to.

"Because," Anna sniffed, eyes gleaming with maternal mischief, "I gave birth to both of you, and you’re both disappointments in different ways. What does that say? It means I failed as a mother."

"Mom! I’m sorry. Okay. I apologise. I haven’t met the right woman yet. That’s all." Winn leaned back in his chair, shoulders tense.

"That’s because you are not making an effort." Anna’s fingers drummed on the table, and the glint of her wedding band seemed to accuse Winn with every tap.

Winn blew out a slow breath, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Mom, how about this? I will put in more effort. Might not even be this Sharona woman, might be someone else."

******

Monday afternoon, the world of House of Kane gleamed.

Sharona strode in, her heels clicking a steady rhythm that made heads turn before she even reached the desk. She was the kind of woman who left a scent of possession behind, a quiet command that made weaker men sit up straighter, clear their throats, adjust their ties.

Her formal designer shirt hugged her frame with just enough suggestion, and her black pants showcased the sway of her hips. She wasn’t dressing for seduction — but seduction happened anyway.

Her jewelry was minimal, a thin gold chain around her throat, glinting as if daring anyone to touch it. Her makeup was artful, a weapon and shield at once. She carried herself with the quiet authority of someone who could submit, but only if she decided the man was worthy. And in her world, very few men were.

At the reception desk, she smiled. "Hello. I’d like to see Winn." She deliberately used his first name, dragging it across her tongue. She wanted the receptionist — and anyone else listening — to know they weren’t strangers. That she could walk into his world and claim space.

"Do you have an appointment, ma’am?" the receptionist asked.

Sharona leaned in. "I don’t need one. Just tell him Sharona is here."

"Please have a seat." Sharona leaned back against the cool leather of the waiting chair, crossing her legs with elegance. The hem of her pants rode just enough to show the faint shimmer of her ankle chain.

The receptionist called upstairs, and stayed on the line for a moment too long, as if confirming Sharona’s worthiness before granting her passage. "He is available to see you. Take the stairs to the last floor."

"Thank you," Sharona replied. She didn’t like waiting for doors to open — she preferred walking straight through them.

When she reached the top floor, her eyes immediately found Ivy. Ah. The pretty drunk from the Saturday party — the one Winn had insisted on driving home. Sharona tilted her head slightly.

"Good morning," Ivy said.

"Morning." Sharona’s reply was languid, as if she had nowhere to be and no one to impress. She let her gaze linger on Ivy a second longer. "I’m Sharona."

"Of course. He will see you now. Just go through this door."

Sharona gave her a small smile. Without another word, she slipped past. Ivy sat rigid, watching her disappear.

Inside the office, Winn rose immediately to his feet. "Sharona." He extended a hand and gestured for her to sit. "What brings you by?"

"You forgot something at my house the other night and I was thinking I could use it as an excuse to invite you over for dinner," Sharona said. She lounged in the chair opposite Winn’s desk.

Winn leaned back in his chair, his gaze narrowing. "You are bold, aren’t you?"

Sharona tilted her head, the motion feline, her earrings catching the sunlight that streamed through the windows. "Why? You don’t like your women forward?" Her smile was knowing, as if she was deliberately poking the beast to see if it would bare its teeth or lie still beneath her touch.

"Doesn’t matter to me," Winn replied. A man like him didn’t confess to preferences — he made people adjust to them. "So what is it I forgot?"

"Your tie," Sharona answered smoothly, enjoying the tiniest flicker of surprise in his otherwise unreadable expression. "Remember you took it off before coffee?"

"No...I remember you taking it off when you said I should feel at home."

Sharona’s lips parted into a sly smile, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction at being caught. "Let’s just say I orchestrated all of this. I wanted you to forget something at my house so I could invite you back for dinner." She said.

"Did my sister put you up to this?" The Kane suspicion ran deep — he knew too well how his family meddled, especially when it came to steering his love life.

"Maybe." Sharona’s shrug was casual. "She thinks the sun revolves around you. I told her I wouldn’t be impressed. I’ve met different kinds of men, from different parts of the world — occupational hazard." She let the words breathe, then added with a slow, deliberate pause: "And I must say, I was wrong. I am impressed."